Forbidden Attractions
by CrewChic137
Summary: Hermione and Draco are Head Girl and Boy. Lucius and Voldemort have devised a plan for Hermione's undoing. However, this plan involves Draco's cooperation... but will his new feelings stand in the way of doing his duty?
1. Default Chapter

Hermione stared down at the letter in her hands. The news came as no shock to her, but it was a pleasant surprise nonetheless. She smiled widely, reading the parchment once again.

_Dear Miss Granger,_

_We are very pleased to inform you that you have been appointed to the much sought-after position of Head Girl. Your responsibilities are outlined briefly on the attached parchment, and will be more thoroughly explained on September 1st. Congratulations._

_Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

Hermione's smile widened and she laughed gleefully. All of her hard work had finally paid off. She became quiet, wondering who the Head Boy would be. Perhaps Harry? He was Dumbledore's favorite. Yes, it must be Harry. And if it wasn't Harry, who else could it possibly be?

Hermione walked over to her desk and pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill. She thought for a moment – Harry would probably be at the Burrow by now, so she would address her letter to him and Ron.

_Harry and Ron –_

_I just got my Hogwarts letter, and I'm Head Girl! I was just wondering if either of you were appointed Head Boy. I'll be at Diagon Alley tomorrow to pick up some supplies, perhaps we can meet at Flourish and Blott's around noon? Send an answer back with Leo as soon as you can._

_Love, _

_Hermione_

Hermione sealed the parchment and walked over to Leo's cage. He hooted softly as she unlatched the door.

"Bring this to the Burrow for me, OK? And make sure the boys send an answer back!" Hermione murmured softly to her owl, tying the letter to his leg. Leo nipped her finger gently and flew off into the night. Hermione watched her tawny owl soar off into the sky. She smiled to herself and headed downstairs to tell her parents the good news.

"Well done, Draco. Well done."

Lucius Malfoy gazed at his son with something reminiscent of a smile on his face. Draco kept his gaze down, ever the dutiful and obedient son. The letter announcing his position as Head Boy for his final year at Hogwarts had arrived earlier that morning. Lucius had been extremely pleased when it arrived, claiming that Draco was, perhaps, not such a disappointment after all.

Draco lifted his steely gaze to meet that of his father's. Although his admiration and respect for the man was diminishing, it was in his best interest to remain submissive in his father's presence. Taking orders, however much he disagreed with them, was necessary to survive at Malfoy Manor. With Voldemort getting stronger, Draco did not care to incur his father's wrath any more than was necessary.

"Thank you, Father. I assure you, I have been anxiously anticipating this as much as you have."

"I know, Draco. It is a pity that you have to share this honor with that Mudblood, however."

Draco scowled. It was just like the know-it-all Granger to attain the highest honor in the school. The platinum-haired boy hoped that their quarters were not adjoining at Hogwarts – he could barely stand to be in her presence during Potions, let alone share the same common room for the entire year. Nonetheless, Draco intended to take every advantage of his new status.

He smirked, very much looking forward to September 1st.

"Oi, Harry! There's a letter from Hermione!"

Ron untied the letter and broke the seal. He read the first line quickly as Harry came up behind him. The redhead whooped loudly as Harry came up behind him.

"What did she say?"

Ron turned to him, grinning. "Our 'Mione is Head Girl!"

Harry smiled widely, grabbing the letter. He scanned it quickly, and his eyes darkened slightly. Ron watched his expression change and became concerned.

"Harry, mate, what's wrong?" he asked.

Harry remained silent for a moment and Ron took back the letter. He read the rest and slumped slightly.

"I see. Well, if neither of us got it, then who did?" Ron wondered aloud.

Harry's emerald green eyes were narrowed in deep thought. Suddenly, he scowled and grabbed the letter from Ron, crumpling it in his fist and chucking it at the wall. Ron, seemingly nonplussed, just gazed at him in shock.

"Harry... what is it?"

The other boy met his eyes and muttered one word.

"Malfoy."


	2. A Meeting of Friends and Enemies

Hermione glanced down at her watch for what seemed like the twentieth time in the past five minutes. Harry and Ron were late, yet again. She sighed and turned back to the window display at the Magical Menagerie. She needed to stock up on owl treats and pick up a few cat toys for Crookshanks before returning to Hogwarts. Checking her watch once again, she walked towards the entrance to the shop.

"Oi, Hermione! Wait up!" a boy's voice called out.

The brunette turned and spotted her two friends waving at her from across the street at Quality Quidditch Supplies. She grinned and waved back, then darted through the crowds towards Harry and Ron. Hermione reached Ron first and threw her arms around him. He flushed slightly and patted her back as she hugged him tightly. Today was the first time she had seen the two boys since June.

"How've you been, 'Mione?" The redhead asked, holding her at arm's length. Hermione's eyes sparkled as she looked up at him. Ron had grown even taller over the summer, and his hair had darkened to a flattering auburn color.

"I've been lovely, Ron. And you?" she responded.

"Great! Mum and Dad are inside buying me a new broomstick," Ron said excitedly. "Dad got a raise!"

Hermione grinned at him. "What wonderful news! Give him my congratulations, will you?"

"Of course."

Harry watched the exchange, mildly amused. His two best friends were, once again, ignoring his presence. Not that it was all that unexpected – he tried to blend into the background as much as possible. He also knew that Ron and Hermione had become quite taken with each other in the past year. Yet he had noticed over the summer that Ron's crush had diminished slightly, and it seemed as long Hermione was no longer as enchanted with the redhead as she had been in June. He smiled to himself, shaking his head.

Harry decided that it was about time he spoke up.

"Did you forget about me? Your other best friend? The third Musketeer?"

Hermione whirled around, her hand to her mouth and her eyes open wide. "Oh, my gosh, Harry, I'm so sorry…" She trailed off, dropping her hand and gaping at him for a moment.

Harry chuckled to himself at her surprised reaction. His appearance must be quite startling to her – even Ron had given a start when Harry had first arrived at the Burrow two weeks ago. The raven-haired boy now stood at 6'3", four inches taller than Ron. Hard work with a landscaping crew over the summer had succeeded in toning his arm, leg, and stomach muscles. In addition, his hair had finally decided to behave itself at last – the previously messy mop now hung straight and fell over his forehead into his eyes, giving him a more mysterious, mature look. No wonder Hermione was staring at him so openly.

Hermione gazed at Harry for several moments, then shook her head. 'What am I doing, staring at Harry like that? He's my best friend!' she chastised herself. Regaining her composure, Hermione glanced back up into her friend's face to find him grinning at her. She smiled back shyly and held out her hand. Harry's gaze dropped down to her outstretched hand and shook his head, amused.

"What, no hug for me? I'm rather disappointed, Hermione!" Harry exclaimed, giving her a sad look.

The brunette blushed becomingly and moved towards him. Harry grinned mischievously and swept her up into his arms. He twirled her around and she laughed with delight. Harry set her down and gazed down into her chocolate-colored eyes. They were shining with happiness and a bit of something else he couldn't identify. Hermione looked down at their still-intertwined hands and flushed pink again.

Harry smiled at her obvious embarrassment. His friend had also changed quite a bit during the summer months. While she still remained petite at 5'4", Hermione had finally attained a womanly figure. Her hair had lightened to a strawberry-blonde color, and hung almost to her waist. It had finally lost its frizziness and was now smooth and straight. The blonde highlights glistened in the sunlight and her brown eyes sparkled with happiness. She was rather beautiful.

"Well, well, well. Looks like Potter has finally landed himself a girlfriend – the Mudblood know-it-all," a familiar voice drawled.

The trio whirled around to face a smirking Draco Malfoy. Hermione gasped audibly as she took in the sight of the platinum-haired boy. 'Why is it that every guy I know became ridiculously handsome over the summer?' she groaned to herself. 'Wait, did I just call Draco Malfoy _handsome_?'

"Sod off, Malfoy," Ron growled, drawing his wand. Harry followed suit and both boys advanced towards Malfoy menacingly. The blonde merely stood there, grinning wickedly at the two boys. His gaze flicked to Hermione, and his usually emotionless eyes widened with something akin to amazement for a moment. As quickly as the emotion had come, it fled and his eyes narrowed as he turned back to Harry and Ron. Hermione gulped and moved towards the three boys, stepping between them.

"Please, don't fight. Not today! Not with everyone around to see you!" she pleaded.

Harry and Malfoy both glanced at her, but Ron kept his eyes trained on the blonde boy. Harry looked slightly guilty and moved to put his wand away. Malfoy continued to gaze at Hermione, slightly in awe.

'Damn! The Mudblood actually looks _hot_ for once!' Malfoy thought to himself, still staring into her brown eyes. Hermione looked away from him and turned her attention to Ron. She walked towards him with an imploring look on her face. She took a step forward and tripped over a loose brick. Hermione threw out her hands to catch herself.

A pair of strong hands grasped her about the waist and pulled her back up. She closed her eyes and fell back into her rescuer's arms.

"Thanks, Harry," Hermione murmured, turning to look up at him. She froze, staring up at a pair of silvery grey eyes instead of Harry's sparkling emerald orbs. The girl jumped and nearly fell again. Malfoy retained a strong grip on her waist, and she struggled against him.

"Let her go now, Malfoy." Hermione turned to look at Harry. His eyes were blazing with anger. She turned back to Malfoy. He smirked down at her, and released her from his grasp. He maintained a grip on her hand, however, and Hermione struggled to get away. Malfoy lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. Then he let go of her hand and she darted away from him. Harry embraced her to him and glared at Malfoy.

"See you on September 1st, kids," Malfoy drawled, walking away.


	3. Unlikely Confrontations

Hermione stepped through the barrier onto the bustling Platform 9 ¾. She glanced around with a mixture of excitement and wistfulness upon her face. This would be the last time she would take the Hogwarts Express to school. The next time she stood on this platform, she would be going home for good.

The attractive brunette sighed, then straightened her shoulders. Hermione glanced around, searching for Harry and Ron. It appeared that they had yet to arrive – the Weasley's were always running late. She decided to board the train and find an empty compartment. She would save them seats once she got on board.

Hermione reached down to grasp her trunk, but found that someone else's hand already grasped the handle. She looked up into Malfoy's silvery eyes and gasped audibly. The blonde boy grinned wickedly at her, and, to her dismay, had the audacity to wink!

"You look like you could use a hand, ma'am," Malfoy drawled, lifting her trunk. Hermione gaped at him for a moment before regaining her senses. She shook her head and set her mouth into a firm line.

"I'm quite alright, Malfoy. I'm perfectly capable of carrying my trunk on my own, thank you very much."

Malfoy continued to smirk at the brunette, much to her discomfort. She began to squirm uncomfortably and shifted her eyes away. Something about him was very unnerving, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

'Why does he make me feel this way?' Hermione thought, groaning inwardly.

Malfoy watched intently as Hermione waged an internal battle with herself. His smirk dissipated into a curious and friendly smile. He shifted the trunk to his other hand, away from Hermione. The girl's eyes narrowed and she reached for her luggage.

"Come now, Granger, surely you could allow me, your fellow Head Boy, to carry your trunk for you? We ought to work at getting along better, since we'll be sharing quarters for the year," Malfoy continued to smile at her. He watched closely to gauge her reaction.

And what a reaction it was. Hermione's eyes darkened and she reached for her luggage again. This time, Malfoy allowed her to grab hold of it. She held her trunk tightly with both hands and backed away from him. A mixture of curiosity and wariness was in her gaze as Hermione continued to stare at him. She kept backing away until she met with a solid object.

"Hey, Hermione, is anything wrong?" Hermione whirled around, dropping her trunk in the process. Harry's green eyes gazed into her chocolate orbs with concern. Hermione glanced towards Malfoy quickly. The blonde was staring at Harry with intense dislike and – could it be? – jealousy. Harry followed Hermione's gaze across the platform. His eyes narrowed.

"Harry, don't…" Hermione trailed off as Harry strode off towards Malfoy. The two boys exchanged some hushed, obviously hostile words. Malfoy's face darkened, and he spun on one heel and boarded the train. Harry walked back over to stand by Hermione's side. He put his arms on her shoulders and tilted her chin up so that she was looking directly into his eyes. Hermione felt a tremor run through her body that had nothing to do with the episode she had just experienced.

"Are you alright, 'Mione?" Harry murmured.

Hermione gazed at him, unable to speak. The girl merely stared into Harry's eyes, her heart rate speeding up. She breathed in his scent and leaned towards him. Harry's gaze turned from concerned to serious in a matter of moments. Hermione's eyes fluttered shut and she tilted her face up towards Harry's. The raven-haired boy brought his hand to her cheek and leaned in to kiss her.

"Hey, Harry! Get over here and help me with this owl of yours!"

Hermione and Harry jumped away from each other immediately at the sound of Ron's voice. They glanced sheepishly at each other, then turned away. Hermione picked up her trunk and Harry walked towards Ron to help with the rest of the luggage. The trio boarded the Hogwarts Express and settled into an empty compartment, preparing for their last journey to Hogwarts.


End file.
